Yobai: Night Visits of Spring Fertility Festival
by jeffs
Summary: kagome and the village girls gossip... Things were different in feudal japan.... rated for language and sexual ideas....


Yobai: Night visits  
  
Spring fertility festival spin-off.  
  
This takes places about a month after the events of "spring fertility festival" and about two weeks after the events in "I-Shin-Po"  
  
Life in a feudal Japanese village . . . what would the girl's gossip about? ___________________________________________  
  
It's raining . . . late afternoon at Keade's village.  
  
Inside her hut . . .  
  
"You're sure the rain will let up soon!?" Inu-yasha yells at Keade.  
  
Keade nods. "Yes, Inu-yasha it'll end by nightfall and the next few days will be hot and sunny."  
  
"Good. Then tomorrow we will leave to go shard hunting." Inu-yasha turns to the others in the group. "So be ready to leave at day break. Got that!"  
  
Miroku nods, "of course, Inu-yasha."  
  
Sango nods as she continues to clean her boomerang.  
  
Kagome, lost in studying, doesn't react.  
  
Inu-yasha goes over, grabs the book from her and yells, "Got that, bitch!"  
  
Kagome shifts backward in surprise. "Huh! Inu-yasha! Sit, boy!"  
  
THUMP!  
  
She looks around, "what is he excited about?"  
  
"Bitch! We will be leaving in the morning and you will be ready!" Inu-yasha yells from the ground.  
  
Kagome frowns, "of course, Inu-yasha, I'll be ready." She grabs her book back.  
  
Inu-yasha gets up, and growls, "you better be." As he stalks back to his corner.  
  
Keade clears her throat. "Kagome and Sango?"  
  
They both look at her, "yes, lady Keade." "Yes, ma'am."  
  
Keade nods in Sango's direction as she speaks, "Sango, I know that you've declined before, but I've been asked again to invite you to the meeting of the girls association tonight."  
  
"Girls' association?" Kagome asks.  
  
"And Lady Keade, please tell them, that I'm still going to decline." Sango shakes her head and continues to explain. "There is simply nothing we can talk about. I don't know farming and womanly tasks, and they don't know about my training. We'd just sit across from each other mumbling about the weather, at best."  
  
"Girls' association?" Kagome repeats, "what's that?"  
  
Sango and Keade look at each other. Keade nods and says, "Kagome, you aren't around all that often, so all the other times, that they've asked me to invite you, I never mentioned it."  
  
"Ok. That's nice. But, what is a girls association?"  
  
Sango clears her throat and says, "The girl's association is what the young ladies of the village call themselves. They meet, occasionally, at different houses and sit gossiping and weaving. Very boring."  
  
"Oh. Like at home, when my friends and I get together at night to study together?"  
  
Everybody else in the hut looks at each other, confused. "I suppose so, Lady Kagome, if what I understand about your friends is correct." Miroku supposes.  
  
Sango frowns, "Exactly, how close have you been listening to her talk about her friends?"  
  
"Ayumi likes hentai tentacle movies, whatever that is." Miroku quickly replies. He blinks. "I didn't just say that, did I?"  
  
CLONK . . . boomerangs to the head . . .  
  
"Yes, I think so, Lady Kagome. The girls meet at sunset and spend several hours talking, weaving silk and making clothes." Keade says, "As I said, they've asked for you to join them before, but you've always been too busy. But, tonight, as long as you don't spend too much time with them, it might be possible for you to join them."  
  
Kagome smiles, "Oh, yes, I'll go. It sounds like fun. Do I need to bring anything?"  
  
"Not really, although, some of your, what do you call it, yes, junk food, might be appreciated." Keade says.  
  
"Good. I've got some chips and chocolate that haven't been ate yet."  
  
"What! Where's the chocolate?!" Shippo cries as he jumps on her.  
  
"You'll get some, Shippo, I haven't forgotten your payment. But you don't get it, just yet." Kagome smiles at him. Kagome asks "And it is girls only, right?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
'So, no . . . inu-yasha to interrupt,' she thinks.  
  
Later as Kagome leaves the hut . . .  
  
Sango and Keade stand at the doorway.  
  
"Now, she deserves a quiet night making friends." Lady Keade tells Inu- yasha and Miroku. Keade is twirling a necklace in her hands.  
  
Sango shifts her boomerang. "So, let's plan on where we are going tomorrow, right. Nothing else, right?" Every time she said, 'right' her boomerang pounded the floor.  
  
Inu-yasha and Miroku look at each and slowly nod . . .  
  
Later . . . at a different house in the village . . .  
  
"Hi!" Kagome bows as she enters the house. "Keade said, I'd be welcomed, tonight." She is wearing her normal school clothes, but she has a plastic bag full of bags of chips and some chocolate bars.  
  
The lady of the house bows to Kagome, "yes, lady Kagome. My daughters and their friends are very glad you've come. Please follow me."  
  
She leads Kagome into a large room toward the back of the house. Inside the room is about a dozen or so young women. They range in age from about twelve to the mid-twenties. They are all wearing kimonos, of a better quality than Kagome normally sees in the village. 'Once they knew I was coming, I'd bet they dressed up.' she thinks. Some of the girls are also wearing some make-up.  
  
Some of the younger girls have spindles, where they are gathering up silk thread. A couple of looms have been set up and most of the older girls are gathered around them, they are weaving silk cloth. The youngest girls have baskets of silk cocoons in them. They are separating the silk threads.  
  
One of the older girls is very pregnant, about 8 months or so. Another young woman has her baby with her.  
  
Kagome has met the girls about the village and she knows most of their names, but any acquaintance with the girls is a limited one.  
  
Kagome bows to the girls and introduces herself. All the girls stand and bow to her and give her their names. They sit back down.  
  
Amaya, one of the older girls and the daughter of the household, so she is the hostess, says "lady Kagome." As she approaches her.  
  
Kagome holds up her hand and shakes her head, "just Kagome, ok?"  
  
"Ok?" the girls look at each other.  
  
'Forgot, they haven't been around me enough to recognize that slang.' She thinks. "Oh, sorry. Just call me Kagome, tonight. This is supposed to be a friendly get together, right?"  
  
Everybody nods at her.  
  
"Amaya, here," Kagome hands her the bag of snacks she brought with her. "Something for everyone to snack on. Just open up the bags and place want's in them in bowls. Everybody can have some."  
  
Amaya bows and takes the food. A couple of big woven bowls are found and the bags of chips opened. The bowls are passed around. A jar of hot water and some tea is produced as well.  
  
The girls look at each and bow to Kagome. "Kagome, then. Why don't you seat next to Emi, here?" she points to one of the older girls by the loom.  
  
Emi waves, she is the young woman that is 8 months pregnant. "Thank you, Kagome, I can use the help." She pats her stomach. "Getting up and moving, is getting a bit difficult."  
  
Kagome looks over the loom. "I'll be happy to help, but, I've never done this before." "What? You've never worked a loom before?" At least a couple of the girls cry in surprise.  
  
Kagome shrugs. "Yes, I buy, or rather, my mother buys, my clothes pre-made. All I have to do is try them on." She frowns, "I've done some knitting, but never anything like this."  
  
"So, you are a princess." One of the younger girls says. And most of the girls nod in agreement.  
  
"Oh, no. I'm not a princess. That's how everyone buys clothes. Nobody weaves their own any more."  
  
Amaya frowns, "So . . . you've done nothing like this before?"  
  
Kagome shakes her head. "No. I'm willing to help, but?" She shrugs.  
  
Amaya and the older girls huddle. "Kagome. In that case, how about you help Hitomi." She points to one of the younger girls. She is unwrapping silk cocoons. "Separating the silk thread is easy. Boring, but easy."  
  
Kagome sits down, says hi, and Hitomi, who is about thirteen, shows her how to unwind the silk thread from the cocoon.  
  
Over the next hour or so, Kagome and the girls of village talk and gossip as they work. Kagome quickly and easily becomes one of the girls. Her slang and occasional odd phrasing cause some questions, but, most of the laughs and talk come from Kagome telling stories of the wonders of the future. (Air-conditioning and bug killing sprays cause the most comments.)  
  
"I am sorry that I don't have any bug spray with me, but I don't want to hurt Myouga by accident." Kagome explains  
  
Kagome, after a sip of her tea, asks, "Oh, I've been meaning to ask, are we just making cloth, or is this for something special?"  
  
Emi pipes up, "We are making my wedding dress, Kagome."  
  
"You're not married yet?" Kagome asks, "I thought," she waves at Emi's stomach, "since."  
  
"Oh, no." Emi quickly says, "This is my finance's child, but we're not married yet. Everyone wants to wait and see how the child looks."  
  
"Huh? Excuse me, but, I'm not sure I understand."  
  
Emi looks at some of the other girls, "Well, you know, Kagome, that a lot of babies die, right."  
  
Kagome nods.  
  
"So, his family and mine want to make sure that the child is healthy, before we marry. My mother and older sister have had a lot of trouble with babies, so everyone is concerned." Emi gives a wan smile, "I mean, as a wife, the most important thing a woman does is continue the family line, so it's best to make sure that I can bear a healthy child, before marriage."  
  
Kagome, hesitates, but she nods. "Yes, I can see that."  
  
Emi pats her child, "I just hope Keade's spell is correct and it's a boy." She sniffs, "If it's a girl, then, I might have to expose it. My husband really wants his first child to be a boy."  
  
Kagome stares. 'People still do that . . . I would have thought Keade would have stopped it, but . . . I really haven't paid much attention to the village.'  
  
Kagome licks her lips, "I know, I'd hate to do that." She says in a soft voice.  
  
"Everyone hates it, Kagome." Emi says back, also in a soft voice, "but, sometimes it's necessary."  
  
Silence . . .  
  
The baby begins to cry. "Kiku, do you need any help?" Hitomi asks.  
  
"No. He's just hungry." Kiku says as she loosens her kimono and offers her son her breast. Kiku smiles at Hitomi, "you really like kids don't you, Hitomi?"  
  
Hitomi nods, "yes, my father is already talking to the Aki's family. Once they settle on the dowry, then." She smiles.  
  
"Then, in a few months, you'll be like me." Emi smiles.  
  
Hitomi nods. "Yes. Aki and I have already done it a couple of times and he's nice."  
  
"Aki?" Kagome raises her eyebrows, "isn't he like forty years old?"  
  
"Yes, but his first wife died in childbed a couple of years ago and he is looking for a new wife." Hitomi explains, "especially since none of the children lived. My age really helps, he knows that I've just started my childbearing years, so that will give him even more chances at children."  
  
Hitomi smiles, bends over and whispers into Kagome ear, "and my mom has had eight kids, with another on the way, and all of them were easy births. I can't wait until I've got my first."  
  
Kagome flushes and sputters.  
  
"Hmm." Amaya mumbles, "Kagome, you seem surprised, how about you tell us about marriage in the future?" Kagome nods and begins to explain about dating and marriage, as she was taught.  
  
"So . . . How strange . . . " Kiku says.  
  
"That's weird." Emi says.  
  
"That is stupid." Hitomi says with confidence.  
  
Amaya says, "let's see if I understand, Kagome. Even though you'll be spending the rest your life with your husband you are not supposed to sleep with him until after you're married. But, how well the man and wife get along in the bedroom is very important, if not the most important part of marriage. And you're not going to know about that until it's too late?"  
  
Kagome nods. "Well, if it's too bad, you can get a divorce."  
  
"Divorce! Meaning you and your family and his family are embarrassed and everybody will think you are idiots! Especially when all it takes is sleeping together to before you get married to know if it will work." Amaya exclaims.  
  
"But aren't you supposed to be a virgin when you get married?"  
  
"For rich folks, yes, but for us," Amaya waves her hands at the room, "things are different. Making sure the family and the marriage are good and stable are more important than just one night."  
  
"Besides," Hitomi, the thirteen-year-old, adds in, "while the boys like it occasionally if you act untrained in the bedroom, but, most of the time they like girls that know what they are doing. Why else do you hear about all the stories about geishas' and such? Pretending you don't know how to suck him and letting him teach you, is nice to play act every so often, but most boys want the girl to know what to do."  
  
Kagome blushes heavily at that remark.  
  
Emi, with a puzzled look on her face, says, "Kagome, you act like this type of talk surprises you and what you said about dating makes me wonder. Bedroom play is fun! Everyone does it. Besides, what else is there to do at night? So, why are you acting like it's something bad and disgusting?" She shrugs, "I know everyone likes girls to act shy in public, but once you're in the bedroom, that changes."  
  
'What else is there to do at night?' Kagome thinks. 'Yes, they work all day in the fields or doing chores. There are no TV, no movies, no radio, and no computer games, so what else is there to do?'  
  
"You mean that all of you girls have sex on a regular basis?" Kagome asks.  
  
All the girls cover their mouths and giggle. "Of course, Kagome." At least three girls say at the same time.  
  
"And your parents know and approve?" Kagome asks.  
  
"Of course, As long as the boy is gone by sunup, then officially he did not spend the night." Hitomi replies.  
  
"But . . . " Kagome sputters.  
  
Kiku, shifts her child to her other breast, and says, "Kagome, I think you might be forgetting something." She waves her hand at the other girls, "All of us are going to live together in this village."  
  
She smiles, "I don't think any of us have ever been more than maybe three or four hours walk away from the village."  
  
The other girls nod.  
  
"The boys in the village are the same way. We have to live together, and everyone knows each other." She smiles, "I'm sure we could tell you about every bad habit in the village."  
  
"Yes, you know about . . . " "Shut-up Saki. Kagome doesn't need to know that your boyfriend loves your ass." A couple of girls say to each other.  
  
"So, every one of us, knows each other and know all the boys in the village. We grew up together." Kiku says.  
  
"So you'll be marrying your boyfriend?" Kagome asks.  
  
"Oh, no, I'm already married." Kiku replies. "But, my husband is young, my age, so he lives with his family and I still live with my family. Once he establishes himself, then, we'll move out, but until then we'll have to live separately."  
  
"And you all you other girls are you engaged or married?" Kagome asks the room in general as she looks around.  
  
Amaya smiles, "Oh no, Kagome. Most of us aren't. And when we do marry it'll be to an older man, not like Kiku." She nods at her.  
  
"When I marry, I want to know that my husband can take are of the children and me, not depend on his parents, like Kiku does."  
  
"Love is important." Kiku interrupts.  
  
"So is knowing that the children will grow up around a stable marriage. You and Ryo are having and will have difficult times because you married so young."  
  
Kiku shrugs, "Love's worth it."  
  
"But, Kagome, for most of us, we'll marry an older bachelor or like Hitomi marries an older man whose first wife has died. That way we'll marry into a strong stable family."  
  
Saki interrupts, "but before then, we have fun." She smiles. She, in a stage whisper, then says, "and even after marriage, we have fun."  
  
The girls giggle and hide their faces.  
  
"Amaya, do you think we should still ask her about the night visits?" Michi, one of the other girls asks.  
  
"Night Visits?" Kagome asks.  
  
Amaya shrugs, "the boy's association wanted us to ask you about it. They wanted to know if they could add you to their list of girls that they could visit."  
  
Kagome frowns, "I'm still not getting it, Amaya. What exactly is a night visit?"  
  
"Hitomi mentioned it a little while ago, Kagome. It's when a boy comes over and visits your bedroom during the night."  
  
Kagome stares at Amaya, horrified puzzlement over her face. "You . . . you mean . . . you plan it?"  
  
"Yes, every month we, the boys and girls' association plan a night where the girls sleep alone in an outer room, with the door unlatched. And during the night, the boys will come over and everyone has fun."  
  
Hitomi, again in that stage whisper says, "sometimes, it's just one boy, but, especially the first couple of times that your name is on the list, well, all the boys in the village will want to visit that night." She smiles, "it was fun."  
  
"Yes." "It's great, Kagome!" "Say you'll add your name to the list!" the girls whisper to Kagome.  
  
"But you plan it?" Kagome asks in disbelief.  
  
"Well for some girls it's that time of the month, so they can't participate. And other girls might have some other reason to say no. so, it's best if everyone knows who's available and who's not." Hitomi explains to her.  
  
Kagome blinks her eyes. "Have the boys tried to explain this to Inu-yasha or Miroku?"  
  
The girls look at each other.  
  
Emi says, "Nobodies really mentioned it to Inu-yasha. I think the boys were waiting until you said that they could visit you, before they were going to ask him, if he wanted to join."  
  
Kagome clears her throat. "As the Miko Kagome. Tell the boys never, and I repeat, never mention this to Inu-yasha. Especially, if I'm not here. Because, I do not want to arrive and be told that Inu-yasha just killed every boy in the village. Do you have that?" She finishes in a hard tone.  
  
The girls nod.  
  
"Good. I don't like using my authority as a miko, but, in this case, I am." Kagome stares at the girls, and they all nod again. "Now, what about Miroku?"  
  
"Oh, he knows." Kiku says.  
  
"And?"  
  
"And, lady Keade came around and told all the families about his curse. And no family wants to become part of that, so everyone was told not to do anything with him." Hitomi says.  
  
Amaya clears her throat, "not that it stopped everyone." She stares at Saki. Saki bows her head. "But, once Sango arrived. Well, whenever Miroku would talk someone" and a look at Saki, "into it, she'd start practicing in the village."  
  
"And she's frightening." Saki whispers. "Especially when you know that you're her target . . . "  
  
"Well, Kagome do we add you to the list?" Amaya asks.  
  
Kagome shakes her head. "No. I'm sorry, girls, but, I just can't."  
  
"Aww . . . " several of the girls moan.  
  
Kagome clears her throat, "I do wish that I could, but, Inu-yasha." The other girls nod. "And, this is very different from what I'm used to, so, even if Inu-yasha wasn't here, I'd still say no, just so I could think about it, first."  
  
"But, if Inu-yasha wasn't here?" Emi asks.  
  
Kagome blushes. "And if I was raised here, then I'd say yes. But, I wasn't raised here and Inu-yasha is here, so no."  
  
The girls sigh, but nod.  
  
Kagome clears her throat. "And, Amaya, I need to ask, where is your outhouse?"  
  
Amaya tells her.  
  
Kagome leaves and the room dissolves into whispered conversations.  
  
'That was embarrassing . . . ' Kagome thinks, once she's out of the room. 'I'm sorry that I made that excuse, but I need some time alone to think.' She shakes her head. 'Well, that explains the occasional black eye that Miroku has and Sango won't explain.'  
  
'I knew that things were different now. But . . . I didn't realize how much.' Kagome thinks. 'Still, until we started talking about sex, tonight was fun. And I'm going to talk to Sango. I wonder what she knows?'  
  
Kagome returns to the room. "Girls, I am sorry, but while I was out, I checked the time and I need to go. Inu-yasha wants to get off to an early start in the morning. Sorry." She bows to the room.  
  
All the girls stand and bow to Kagome. "Thank you for coming Lady Kagome."  
  
Amaya says, "you are welcome to join us again at any time, Kagome. Lady Keade knows our schedule and where we meet."  
  
Kagome nods. "Yes, I did have fun, tonight. I'll try."  
  
Amaya reaches into her kimono and pulls out a pair of small, very well polished, wooden balls. "Here, Kagome, a gift. I think you need something to make the days and nights more enjoyable. Just place these inside you. They'll help." Amaya places the balls in Kagome nerveless hands and wraps Kagome's fingers around them. She whispers, "don't worry, they are spares."  
  
Hitomi says, as Kagome, walking like a sleep walker, turns around to leave, "Yes, Kagome, please come and visit us again. Next time, we'll pull out the sake and really party."  
  
later . . .  
  
Kagome has dragged Sango into the woods, after making an Inu-yasha crater to make sure he doesn't follow.  
  
"Sango." Kagome whispers to her. "What do you know about night visits?"  
  
Sango blushes, "They asked you, too, hmmm?"  
  
"Why didn't you warn me?"  
  
"How? Kagome? In front of Inu-yasha?"  
  
"Oh?"  
  
"And?"  
  
"And, what, Sango?"  
  
"What did you say?"  
  
"No. Inu-yasha would kill the village."  
  
"Yes, I thought so."  
  
"What did you tell them, Sango?"  
  
"Hmm . . . No. I told them that it's not part of my heritage. Not all villages have night visits, although, a lot, probably most, does."  
  
"Ok. And the real reason?"  
  
Sango blushes, "if I let any boy in the village do it, how can I say no to Miroku?"  
  
Kagome nods.  
  
"And your real reason?" Sango asks.  
  
Kagome blushes. "I'm afraid that I might like it."  
  
Sango nods. "Same here."  
  
The end ______________________________  
  
How things change . . .  
  
This does take place before "A Shard in Kyoto" and "Kagome! Where are You!?"  
  
Authors' note: this was based on my reading of the following . . . Recreating Japanese Women, 1600-1945 edited by Gail lee Bernstein. Published by university of California press in 1991. Softcover. Chapter 2 mainly.  
  
thank you for reading jeff shelton 


End file.
